Firefly Timeline
The following is a timeline for the Firefly 'verse. Some of the following entries on the main timeline may not be based on the show's canon. Timeline 2020 * Star cluster in Taurus is discovered, designated “34Tauri(2020)”. Five stars and 14 gas giants found (seven large enough to be brown dwarfs and the remaining seven of Jovian size). 2021 * Recycling programs beginning to fail, global warming increasing. 2027 * Astronomers discover several planets within the 34Tauri(2020) star cluster. * P/2027(White Sun)03 shows chemical signatures of Earthlike conditions. * Despite reddish hue, P/2027(White Sun)04 shows similar conditions. * Over the next 15 years, terrestrial planets are found by the dozens in the 34Tauri(2020) star cluster. Most are believed to be within acceptable limits for terraforming. 2028 * Astronomers discover several planets within the 34Tauri(2020) star cluster. 2030 * It's official: Earth lost the ability to sustain 21st century society and current population levels within 100 years. 2035 * The quantum nature of gravity is deduced, allowing for rapid and unprecedented advances in gravity manipulation technologies. Creation of artificial gravity and gravity screening soon follow. 2037 * Space technology development vastly accelerated by new discoveries. Due to the advent of gravity technology, terraforming can take decades instead of centuries. 2040 * First theories for evacuating the Earth presented. Gravity manipulation technology makes evacuation a viable idea. 2042 * Terraforming technology tested on Mars with positive results. 2045 * Terraforming of Venus and the moons of Earth and Mars begin. 2047 * Terraforming of Venus and the moons of Earth and Mars are abandoned due to a lack of native resources. 2048 * Failure of terraforming efforts in the Solar System hit home. Global morale sinks to new lows as riots break out in many major cities. Earth's governments decide that fast action is required to keep society from falling into chaos. As rebuilding Earth’s ecosystem no longer appears to be an option, a plan for mass exodus is proposed instead. The GEA (Global Exodus Alliance) is formed and given unlimited governmental authority and complete control over Earth's meager remaining resources as member nations cede their power to the organization. The GEA moves quickly to take control of infrastructure, police and military and most of the private sector as well, all in the name of mobilization of the greatest single endeavor in human history. Plans are made for the evacuation of the Earth-That-Was's population to the 34Tauri(2020) star cluster. 2053 * Collection and storage of samples of all life on Earth. 2060 * With plans for colonization in place, global resources mobilized, and construction of arks and ark modules on-going, the Global Exodus Alliance (GEA) makes its final move to cement control over humanity. The GEA publishes the "Articles of Alliance", a super-constitution which supersedes all other legal systems on the planet. As China and the U.S. are contributing most of the resources and much of the know-how to the Exodus Project, they take joint stewardship over the new "global government". Smaller countries are given a choice, sign the articles or give up any chance of having their populations join the exodus. Results are almost immediate, unilateral capitulation by 98 percent of Earth's governments. The Alliance is created. 2072 * First wave of terraforming begins. Dozens of Robot terraformer ships are launched. Their targets are two planets orbiting the Verse's central sun, a white primary, dubbed "White Star" (later, simply “White Sun”) by the Americans and "Bai Hu" or "White Tiger" by the Chinese. 2075 * Latest projections show Earth unable to support more than 5 percent of current population within three decades. GEA recommends a vast expansion of the Exodus Project and Alliance approves, remaining cities will be systematically dismantled to increase the size of the ark fleet tenfold. Pollution runs wild as ark fleet is considered the only priority. 2090 * Loading of arks begins with cargo, fuel, and stored genetic samples. 2094 * Boarding of the ark ships begins. Over the last five decades, Earth population has dropped to around one billion due to starvation, disease, toxic contamination, and criminal activities. Reproductive rates have dropped to near zero. Most of the Earth's population now lives in squalor. Although most ark ships will not depart until completely loaded (a process that takes years), survivors welcome the safe, sterile, climate controlled environments of the Ark ships after the horror Earth has become. A rich black market develops that sells positions in the boarding lottery, falsified medical certificates, and other items needed to gain quicker access to the arks. 2095 * The Alliance declares global martial law. 2097 * First ark ships begin to depart. Priority is given to those ships populated with the ancestors of those who will act as the terraforming and construction labor force upon arrival. 2101 * The final Ark ship leaves Earth orbit. 2102 * Leading ships of the Ark Fleet reach cruise velocity of approximately 102,777 km/s or 0.34483c. Fleet formation spreads a little as trailing ships take a little longer to reach cruise velocity. Ships at cruise velocity for 116 years, Earth time. Time dilation slows time aboard ship to 108 years, 10 months, 18 days. 2110 * All telemetry data from Earth ceases. It is assumed that remaining Earth population is 0. 2164 * As the Exodus fleet approaches, higher resolution imaging of the Verse becomes possible. Observers discover hundreds of planets and moons, many of which appear to be terraformable. 2190 * Last person in the fleet who was born on Earth dies. 2218 * Leading ships of Ark fleet begin to decelerate as they enter the Verse. Destination: P/2027(White Sun)03 “Londinium” and P/2027(White Sun)04 “Sihnon”. * Last member of the first “star generation” dies. No living member of crew has direct memories of Earth or the Solar System. 2225 * Colonization of Londinium and Sihnon complete. 2253 * Decision to use nano-compression technology to compress and ignite brown dwarfs. * P/2020(Blue Sun)01 “Burnham” first brown dwarf to be “helioformed”, due to distance from core systems. Ignition successful but produces random bursts of radiation. 2258 * Helioforming process improved to mostly stable levels, minor radiation bursts but within acceptable levels. P/2020(Red Sun)02 “Heinlein” is helioformed. 2262 * Radiation burst problem at Burnham resolved. 2271 * P/2020(White Sun)01 “Qin Shi Huang”, last brown dwarf to be helioformed, is ignited. 2274 * Experimental terraforming of S/2042(Penglai)04 "Pacifica" fails, resulting in the planet's destruction and the formation of the A/2274(Kalidasa)k7f1y "Six Sigma" asteroid swarm. 2290 - 2440 * Mass terraforming of various planets 2470 * The moon Ita is chosen as the location for a secondary Union of Allied Planets orbital drydock facility. 2506 * The Miranda Project fails, killing 99.9% of the colonists, and resulting in the remaining tenth of a percent becoming Reavers. It is suggested that the failure of the G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate precipitated the Alliance's Unification War. * The Unification War begins. 2508 * December - Independent Forces are pinned down outside of New Kasmir. 2510 * The Battle of Du-Khang. Featured in "The Message". 2511 * May: Battle of Serenity Valley ("Serenity") * The Union of Allied Planets wins the Unification War, and an armistice was signed ending the war. * Yolanda is married to Durran Haymer. In the TV series' episode "Trash", Durran Haymer indicates that six years have passed since they got married and Yolanda disappeared. 2517 * Crow is killed by Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds. * As of 2517, a Platinum was 2.5 times less valuable than a Cr . Based on the relative price of Ivoprovalynin each type of Currency. * The crew of the Firefly-class transport ship Serenity raid Saint Lucy's hospital on the planet Ariel. ** The majority of the episodes of the television series Firefly take place during this year. 2518 * The origin of the Reavers of Miranda is revealed. (Serenity) * The Universe battle annihilates the Reaver fleet and damages the Union of Allied Planets Navy. * The Operative deserts the Union of Allied Planets. 2519 * All White Sun planets available for colonization. * “Miranda Affirmation” project initiated. I.A.V. Unification on station to oversee habitation and distribution. * Call sent out for colonists with harsh environment experience and military background to assist with exploration and construction. Assignments considered extremely hazardous. * Terraforming of S/2180(Miranda)01 “Caliban” resumed. Fast-tracked, utilizing new techniques pioneered at Ita. Tentative completion set for 2530.